CHAPTER THREE

SELFISHNESS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF RAND

3.1 Ayn Rand’s Life and works in Perspective

Ayn Rand's life and works are integral to understanding the development of

her influential philosophy of Objectivism and her impact on various

intellectual fields. This perspective provides an overview of key aspects of

Rand's life and her significant literary contributions.

Early Life and Education:

Ayn Rand, born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum on February 2, 1905, in St.

Petersburg, Russia, experienced the tumultuous events of the Russian

Revolution before immigrating to the United States in 1926. Her formative

years in Soviet Russia profoundly influenced her disdain for collectivism and

authoritarianism, shaping the individualistic philosophy she would later

articulate.

Rand attended the University of Petrograd, where she studied history and

philosophy. However, her education was cut short due to the Bolshevik rise

to power.

Literary Career:

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Rand's literary career in the U.S. began with screenwriting in Hollywood,

where she met her future husband, Frank O'Connor. However, it was her

novels and philosophical works that solidified her influence.

1. "The Fountainhead" (1943): This novel, depicting the individualistic

architect Howard Roark, garnered attention for its celebration of

individualism and rejection of societal conformity.

2. "Atlas Shrugged" (1957): Rand's magnum opus, "Atlas Shrugged,"

expounds her philosophy of Objectivism. The novel explores the

consequences of a society that stifles individual achievement and

innovation.

Objectivism:

Rand's philosophy of Objectivism is a comprehensive system encompassing

metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, and aesthetics. It champions

reason, individualism, and laissez-faire capitalism while rejecting altruism

and collectivism.

Metaphysics and Epistemology:

Rand asserts an objective reality that individuals can apprehend through

reason. She emphasizes reason as the primary means of acquiring

knowledge.

Ethics:

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Objectivist ethics centers on rational self-interest and the pursuit of

individual happiness. It rejects altruism and emphasizes individual rights.

Politics:

Rand advocates for limited government, individual rights, and laissez-faire

capitalism. Her political philosophy aligns with her ethical principles.

Controversies and Impact:

Rand's uncompromising views and outspoken nature generated both

admiration and criticism. While she attracted a devoted following,

Objectivism faced challenges from various quarters. The Ayn Rand Institute,

founded to promote her ideas, continues to disseminate her philosophy.

Legacy:

Ayn Rand's legacy endures through her novels, non-fiction works, and the

continued influence of Objectivism. While divisive, her ideas have left an

indelible mark on discussions about individualism, capitalism, and the role of

government in society.

Understanding Ayn Rand's life and works in perspective requires recognition

of her journey from a young Russian émigré to a prominent figure in

American intellectual history. Her philosophy, often debated and critiqued,

remains a significant force in the ongoing dialogue about individual rights

and societal organization.

3.2 Objective of Ayn Rand’s Philosophy

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Ayn Rand's philosophy, known as Objectivism, is driven by a set of

fundamental objectives that shape its principles across various domains.

These objectives encompass metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, and

aesthetics, creating a comprehensive worldview.

These objectives runs from the metaphysical concept of reality,

epistemological framework of reason, ethical egoism and self interest,

individual rights and capitalism, laissez-faire capitalism, aesthetic objectivity,

accepting individualism and Rejecting Collectivism, x-raying reason in Ethics

and decision-making, philosophical System Integration and promotion of

Objectivist Ideas.

That is, Ayn Rand's Objectivism is designed to provide a comprehensive

framework for understanding reality, guiding ethical choices, and structuring

a just and prosperous social order. The objectives encapsulate her vision of a

rational, individualistic, and rights-respecting society .

Although Ayn Rand defined a full philosophic system, which she called
Objectivism, she never wrote a comprehensive, nonfiction presentation of it.
Rand’s interest in philosophy stemmed originally from her desire to create
heroic fictional characters for her novels, especially Atlas Shrugged, whose
final philosophic speech she called Objectivism’s “briefest summary.”
However, after Rand’s death, Peikoff edited and reorganized those lectures to

produce Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, the first comprehensive

statement of her philosophy which was published in 1991 which contains her

entire philosophic thoughts: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and

esthetics — in essentialized and systematic form, creating a comprehensive

world view.

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Ayn Rand's philosophy, known as Objectivism, is driven by a set of

fundamental objectives that shape its principles across various domains.

Rand’s objectivism, a philosophical system that describes "the concept of

man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his

life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his

only absolute"1.

Objectivism begins by embracing the basic fact that existence exists, and to

exist is to be something, to possess a specific identity. The core of Rand’s

philosophy is that unfettered self-interest is good and altruism is destructive.

Ayn Rand called her philosophy “Objectivism” because central to it is a new

conception of objectivity which is opposite to the direct traditional objectivist

thoughts. Traditionally, objectivity has meant the attempt to efface the

knower out of existence, so that consciousness can “mirror” or “copy”

reality, “untainted” by any processing. Skeptics then bewail the possibility of

man knowing reality, since any attempt to do so must make use of his

senses and/or rational faculty, both of which engage in processing 2.

Rand challenges this whole approach, that the “satisfaction of every need of

a living organism,” she writes, “requires an act of processing by that

organism, be it the need of air, of food or of knowledge.” 3 Objectivity

consists in a mind grasping the facts by the correct mental processes. As

Peikoff formulates her view: “To be objective in one’s conceptual activities is

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volitionally to adhere to reality by following certain rules of method, a

method based on facts and appropriate to man’s form of cognition.”4

3.3 Definition of Selfishness in Ayn Rand’s Philosophy

he purpose of morality, she argues, is to teach us what is in our self-interest,

what produces happiness.

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1
"About the Author" in Rand 1992, pp. 1170–11

2
OBJECTIVISM: THE PHILOSOPHY OF AYN RAND
1991, Leonard Peikoff, p. 2.

3
OBJECTIVISM: THE PHILOSOPHY OF AYN RAND
1991, Leonard Peikoff, p. 2.

4
OBJECTIVISM: THE PHILOSOPHY OF AYN RAND
1991, Leonard Peikoff, p. 2.